So, there was kissing?
by Tonyahuqt03
Summary: An old friend pays Zoe a visit. Zoe and Wash have a falling out and it's not about Mal. River helps Zoe out with a problem.


A large hairy man handed Mal a bag full of coins. He took it and jiggled it next to his ear.

"Sounds 'bout right. Good doing business with you." Mal said as bowed to the hairy man, who grunted and walked away.

"We get paid?" Jayne asked as he picked his teeth with his knife.

"Yes Jayne we got paid." Mal sat down with Jayne and Zoë who are having a drink at a back table.

"This was a good day." Mal had a large smile on his face as he handed the bag to Zoë.

"Almost too good, sir."

"Zoë, you're such a sha shou kùa ilè."

"I guess I am."

Jayne grabbed the bag from her and opened it. He took a coin out and sniffed it then bit it.

"Yeah Zoë, stop being such a sha shou kùa ilè." Jayne said as he buffed the coin with his shirt sleeve.

Zoë just looked at him and snatched the bag back.

"Hey." Jayne yelled. "I was counting that."

"I'm going back to the ship." Zoë looked at the offend Jayne.

"Wave, Bernoulli, tell him we'll have his share in a day or so." Mal said as he waved for the waitress to come over. "And Zoë…"  
Exacerbated, "Yes, Capitan?"

"It's a good day." Mal smiled.

The waitress came over to Jayne and Mal.

"Miss get me and my man here two shots of your finest whiskey. We're celebrating our hǎo yùn." Mal threw her a coin.

"And peanuts." Jayne added.

"And peanuts."

Zoë walked up the ramp to Serenity where he was greeted by her husband.

"We get paid?"

"Yes."

"Shiny" Wash kissed her on her cheek.

Kaylee joined them followed by Simon who looked frustrated.

"Everything ok?" She gave Kaylee a concerned look.

"Everything, shiny, just shiny." Kaylee gave Simon an evil eye.

"Did we get paid?" Simon asked hoping t to break the tension.

"Yes we did." Wash answered and wrapped his hands around his wife. "And no bullets. And no one got shot?" Wash turned to Zoë.

"Not yet, but the Captain and Jayne are still at the bar. Give it time."

"Still a mighty fine day, dear." He kissed her on the cheek again.

"Ah… well, I better prepare the infirmary just in case." Simon turned to Kaylee who is completely ignoring him. "Ok then." He turned and left.

Zoë left to wave Bernoulli leaving Wash and Kaylee alone.

"Do you want me to get Zoë to beat him up for you? I would but, I fight like a xiao nu xúe sheng." Wash smiled at her.

"No, he just confusing, one minute everything going fine, then the next…"

"Well don't give up on him. If I would have given up on Zoë then… well we probably still be married now, because she's attracted to my electrifying machismo."

Wash patted her on the head and headed back up the stairs. Kaylee took a deep breath and headed back to the engine room.

"See ya then."

"Inara?" Wash walked in and sat in his chair.

"She'll be here in 20 minutes or so."

Zoë lend against the console just looking at Wash. He leaned back in his chair and put on his serious face.

"Did you talk to him?"

"Didn't have time."

"You spent most of the day with him."

"Was on the job."

"We haven't had a break in 4 months Cuddle Bunny, don't you think we deserve some husband-wife time, without the others?"

Zoë t inhaled deeply, she was growing tired of these conversations with her husband.

Mal and Jayne are enjoying their drinks while playing a game of Chinese checkers. There is a big commotion at the other end of the bar. Mal and Jayne are not concern. One of the men in the commotion yells out, "Let's be civil here! We're both grown men."

Mal being nosey and glad the commotion wasn't directed at him, turned to see what the problem was. He recognized the man who was held up against the wall by a larger thug. He gulped down the rest of his drink and got up.

"Let's go." Mal has his serious face on. Jayne paid no attention and made another move.

"What? No I'm winning." Jayne puffed out his chest.

"Jayne now." Mal snatched him by the shirt collar jerking him up and accidentally knocked the board on the floor making a loud noise.

Jayne looked down at the pieces on the floor. "Wèi, I was winning."

"Mal? Malcolm Reynolds."

Mal kept walking towards the door. The man called him is the man hanging against the wall. "Awe come on Mal, I know it's you. I could use some help over here."

"I think that pretty man hanging on the wall is calling you Mal." Jayne scuffed.

"I know he's calling me, and that's why we're walking away." Mal hurried trying to ignore the man in distress.

"Come on Mal!"

Mal under his breathe. "Shén me dōng, zhí dé wǒ zhè gè hùai yùn qì?"

Mal turned around with a big fake grin on his face. "Adonis, buddy how are you doing?

Mal walked over to where Adonis was and sized up the man who is holding him.

"Not so good Mal, this gorilla seems to have a hold on me."

"I get that." Mal eyed the guy who is holding Adonis he has at least 5 inches and 40 pounds on Mal.

"Ain't none of your concern. Walk away." The man who was holding Adonis told Mal.

He pulled back his coat to show his gun. The man looked down and doesn't seem impressed. Mal looked at Jayne to join him in the fight that is about to happen.

"Man's right Mal, ain't none of my concern." Jayne said leading against the doorframe of the bar, picking at his teeth.

"I would listen to your friend, pal." The thug warned Mal.

"Well he's an idiot." Mal replied as he punched the guy in the face. It doesn't faze the thug. Mal shook his hand. The thug dropped Adonis and grabbed Mal and threw him against the wall like a rag doll.

"Told you, pal." He laughed and turned his attention back to Adonis when Jayne jumped on him. Jayne wrestled with him for a while. Mal got back up and punched him this time with the butt of his gun. The thug goes down.

Mal pointed his gun in his face. "Now I would listen to me, walk away, Pal."

The thug wiped his face and stood up. He looked back at Adonis. He sat at a table with his leg's cross. He looked back at Mal and Jayne spit and walked out the door.

"Mal thank you. He was a peon who would listen to reason." Adonis said.

"A pe-what?" Jayne asked.

"Let's go." Mal fixed his clothes.

"Wait let me buy you a drink, for helping me out." Adonis got up and went to the bar.

"We're in a hurry, Jayne."

"I ain't in no hurry." Jayne joined Adonis at the bar.

"Jayne."

"I want my reward."

Adonis handed Jayne his drink. He gulped it down in no time. Adonis tried to give Mal his drink.

"No thank you."

Jayne took Mal's drink and gulped it down. Adonis and Mal both look at him.

"What? You won't gonna to drink it."

Mal headed for the door.

"Mal wait."

"Don't want to hear it Adonis. Happy to help you out with your friend there but, I don't want to get tied up in any more of your messes."

Adonis laid more coins on the counter.

"Get yourself more rounds."

He ran after Mal.

"Shiny. Gèng duo wei shì jì jiu!" Jayne ordered another drink.

"Come on Mal, don't be like that."

"Adonis every time I'm around you I found myself in all kinds of trouble, and I ain't looking for trouble."

"No trouble Mal, I promise. I just need a ride."

"A ride?"

"Yeah to Eros. I got coin to pay for the fair."

Mal stared him down. Zoë had dated Adonis on and off after the war when they were living on Dalian a year before Mal bought Serenity. Adonis was a good looking man, strapping some might say with his long blonde hair, bronze skin, rippling muscles, striking blue eyes, dimples, too damn pretty. Mal never got why Zoë had bother with him. He was too pretty, pretty men cause trouble. 

"Hey I say if he got the fair." Jayne staggered up to the men. He wrapped his arm around Adonis and grinned.

"The first sign of trouble, I swear Adonis."

"No, trouble Mal. My hand to God."

"Shiny."

The three men head back to Serenity.

Wash and Zoë are still at a standstill.

"Wash, start her up. Zoë I need you down here." Mal voice through the comm.

Zoë walked off the bridge.

"Feng mao ma ma hé ta de shàng dì! He calls and you go a running." Wash angrily flipped some dials.

Zoë stopped at the door and paused for a moment. Then she continues on her way.

"We'll talk later sweetness." He yelled at her.

On her way to the cargo bay Zoë ran into Inara.

"How was the caper?"

"We got paid." She said sarcastically.

The two women headed down the steps when Zoë stopped mid step. Inara almost bumped into her.

Inara gives her a concern look, "Zoë?"

"Sir what is he doing here?" She continued down the stairs giving Mal the death look.

Out of no where Adonis grabbed her and kissed her. Zoë forgot where she was and kissed him back, hard.

Jayne looked at Mal confused.

"Huh?" Mal was just as confused.

Wash came from the bridge to the stairs.

"Just heard from Bernilll…Inara why is my wife kissing that woman?"

"Wash I don't think that's a woman."

"It has to be in my mind." Wash pushed passed Inara.

He cleared his throat. Adonis and Zoë are still in their lip lock.

"I'm standing right here!" Wash has his serious as hell look on his face.

This broke Zoë's trance. This was one of the rare times that Zoë was ever caught off guard. She was speechless.

"Do you want tell me what the ránshāo hǔorè dìyù is going on here cause I'm lost."

Mal cleared his throat, "Umm Adonis meet Zoë's husband Wash. Wash this is Adonis an old friend of ours."

"You're married?" Adonis looked at Zoë, who is still in shocked.

"Yeah, she's married, she married to me!" Wash stood in between the two of them.

Adonis stepped back to give him self room. "You're married to him?"

Wash looked him up and down. "What do you mean to 'him'?"

Kaylee came in to see what all the commotion is all about.

"Captain what going on, why is Wash so mad?"

Jayne answered her, laughing, "Zoë kissed that guy."

"Zoë what? Captain did Zoë kiss him? Who is he?"

"Zoë you going to tell this piece of crap that we're happily married?"

"Well if you where so happily married then why'd she kiss me. Zoë you can't be married to this guy?"

Zoë just stood in silence staring straight at Mal. She couldn't believe that he brought Adonis on Serenity knowing their history.

Mal could feel Zoë's eyes burning a hole straight through his heart. Mal knew about Zoë and Adonis's history. She had dated him on and off. Mostly off because Adonis was also dating 4 other women and those where the ones Zoë found out about. He was a playboy. The last time she saw Adonis he was laying on the floor, with a busted lip. After Zoë punched him, when he ask for a threesome.

Adonis and Wash stood eye to eye. Adonis was tall and had an exquisite body compare to Wash.

Zoë acted as a buffer for the two men, she faced Wash. She took his hand and tried to take him back upstairs. He doesn't move. She could see the hurt in his eyes. He jerked his hand from hers and stormed back up the stairs. She doesn't follow him she just watched him as he walked away.

Mal not liking tension on his boat snatch Adonis. "I told you no trouble, and look what I got, trouble."

"Mal, I wouldn't of, if I knew…hey she kissed me back!" Adonis tried to defend himself to Mal.

Mal's fist began to rise, but Zoë stopped him and nodded her head no. He looked at her to make sure, if that is what she wanted, because he had no problem hitting him. He could tell that she was sure. Zoë walked towards the kitchen.

"Why ain't she going after Wash." Kaylee looked around at her crewmates. Everyone stood confused because they still couldn't process the last 10 minutes.

"You still going give me a ride right Mal?"

Zoë wasn't here, so Mal punched him knocking him out.

"Mal." Inara exclaimed.

He just looked at her with a grin, stepped over Adonis, and headed for the bridge.

Wash was in his chair not really looking at anything in particular.

"Set a course for Eros."

Wash doesn't answer him. He just looked out the window.

Louder Mal asked him, "Set a course for Eros."

Wash turned around slowly his eyes and face was red with anger. Mal was caught off guard, he had seen Wash mad before, but this was a different level of mad.

"I need you to set a course of Eros."

Wash got up out of his seat and stood toe to toe with Mal.

"Set it yourself."

He bumped into Mal hard as he could and the headed for the door. Mal jerked him against the wall of the bridge.

"I ain't askin'."

Wash pushed him off and reluctantly complied.

Simon was still in the cargo bay examining Adonis. Kaylee and Inara are sitting on the stairs watching Simon work.

"Hmm, I like the guy." Everyone looks at him. Jayne doesn't care and heads for his bunk.

"Why didn't Zoë go after Wash? Don't make no sense." Kaylee asked.

"Don't you people have places you should be? Kaylee close her up. We're taking off."

"Mal who is this guy?" Inara asked.

"Trouble." He walked past them and stepped over Simon and Adonis.

"Make sure you don't scar his pretty face."

Simon just looked up at Mal, and continued his work.

Mal went to the kitchen. Zoë was there sitting in the corner with her knees tucked into her chest in the kitchen. He fixed her and him self tea. "Never knew you not to fight for something you wanted." He handed her the mug.

She turned and looked at him. Her eyes are red. Mal can't remember if he ever seen her cry.

"Adonis is an ass, always has been. Never got why you took a liking to him. But couldn't say I wasn't happy when I saw that busted lip you gave him." Mal laughed a little. "Zoë, I find most things in life are worth fighting for." Mal got up and left Zoë alone with her thoughts.

Adonis woke to find himself in the infirmary. "What happen?"

Simon took a small flashlight and shined it in his eyes. "Captain punched you."

"Mal hit me?"

"Yes."

Simon cut the light off and handed him a couple of pills. "For your head."

"Thanks."

Adonis swallowed the pills and jumps off the bed.

"Where's Zoë?" looked around when Mal came into the infirmary.

Mal looked at him sternly. "Leave her be."

"But, Mal."

"But nothing. I should of thrown your pretty butt off my boat the moment you pulled that stunt."

"I didn't know she was taken."

"Don't matter, Adonis. You just don't go kissing every woman you see fit to."

"Zoë ain't just any ole woman Mal, you know that. We got a history."

"Yeah a history. And now I got a love sick pilot and a Zoë who all crotchety. I tend to like my Zoë in a good mood."

"Mal." Adonis pleaded.

"Look I said that I would take you to Eros, and that's what I plan to do. Stay away from her until we land and we won't have a problem. But, Adonis I swear by your pretty blonde locks if you do any thing else to upset her, I will throw you out the airlock."

Mal walked out the room. Adonis turned to Simon. He just gives him an uneasy smile.

Simon showed him where he can sleep until they reach their destination.

"Find me if there are any problems."

"Problems?"

"With your head."

"Oh."

Adonis attempted to get some rest, but can't get any peace. So, he decided to wander about. Everyone else was asleep by this time. He found him self heading in the direction of the bridge. He knocked at the door. Wash was in his chair sulking. Adonis knocked again. Wash turned around and looked at him. If looks could kill Adonis would be dead.

"Can, I come in?" Adonis doesn't wait for an answer.

Wash ignored him and continued with his sulking.

"Look, I'm sorry. Didn't know she was taken. I wouldn't of…she kissed me back…" Wash turned and looked at him. "…I mean…I respect the sanctity of marriage…" Wash got up and stood nose to nose with Adonis. "…but you gotta know that Zoë is a beautiful woman…and you know how passin…" Wash punched him.

"Ouch." He shook the pain out of his hand.

Mal and Kaylee came out their bunks when Adonis hits the floor.

"Wash did you hit him?" Kaylee asked as she walked over to him stepping over the unconscious Adonis. "Good job. He's too pretty anyway." She gave him a big smile.

"Wash you…uh…couldn't say I didn't see that coming." Mal looked down at Adonis.

"Kaylee why don't you go and fetch Simon and tell him Adonis hit his head on Wash's fist."

Kaylee jumped over Adonis to go get Simon. Wash sucked on his bruised fist.

"You know you shouldn't hit a man with a closed fist…but it still hilarious." Mal hit Wash on the back. "Got that out your system?"

"Yeah." Wash was still sucking on his hand.

"Good, now go find your wife and talk to her…" Mal headed back to his bunk. Simon and Kaylee past Mal as he headed down.

"Look like you got a patient…" Mal laughed. "Night all."

Wash goes back to his chair and continues on his mission to sulk.

Simon waved something in front of Adonis's nose to wake him up. He flashed the light in the confused Adonis's eyes.

"I'm fine Doctor."

"You had two pretty hard hits to your head today…I think that you should come back to the infirmary…"

"I'm good Doctor, really." Adonis got up. He looked at back at Wash and headed back to his room.

"Wash do you need me to look at your hand?"

"Hand's fine, Simon." Wash replied.

Simon and Kaylee left Wash alone.

You could hear a pin dropped on Serenity. Everyone seemed to keep to themselves. Wash stayed on the bridge, Zoë in the cargo bay, Inara on her shuttle, Kaylee engine room, Shepherd and Jayne in their bunks, Simon and River in the infirmary, and Mal stayed in the kitchen. All this tension made him hungry. It had been 2 days since they dropped off Adonis on Eros. Zoë and Wash hadn't patched things up. Serenity was headed to Paquin. Kaylee had to do some repairs on the ground. Mal had a girl there who was willing to trade some parts that Kaylee needed if he could take some cargo to Isis Canyon for her.

Zoë was sitting on a crate when River came and sat beside her. Zoë didn't even notice the girl sitting beside her. River took her hand and intertwined their fingers together. "Love a mirage of the mind, it's an illusion, it's fake, impossible to find…" River studied their hands together, turning them around. "Fingers spread like fine spun gold nestling to the fold…silken thread, it holds fast. Bonds like that are meant to last. At times thread may break…" River let go of her hand. "Another one forms in its wake. Makes the bind closer and keeps it strong."

"River?" Simon called.

"River don't bother Zoë." Simon came over to them.

"She wasn't being a bother, Doctor." This was the first time Zoë had talked to anyone.

Simon just gave an uneasy smile and lead River out the cargo bay.

Wash was in his pilot chair. He was becoming one with his chair, seeing how the only time he left it was to go to the bathroom or to get something to eat. He was fiddling with one of his dinosaurs when Mal came in.

"How much longer until we get to Paquin?"

"Couple of hours."

"Good. Wave Stella and tell her that we'll be there soon."

"Yes, sir, Capitan, sir."

Mal didn't like the tone in Wash voice he was being a smart ass, but he let it go. He was leaving when he ran into Zoë. He hadn't so much as to look at her the past few days. He was afraid of what she might do to him, because he brought Adonis on board.

"Be on Paquin in a couple of hours."

"That's good…how long we're going to be there?"

"Maybe a day or so, depending on how long it takes Kaylee to fix what's got to be fix."

They stood there for a moment before Zoë headed for the bridge.

"Zoë…" Mal called. She stopped but doesn't look back. "We need him to land us on Paquin..." Zoë turned her head slightly. Right away he regretted what he just said, but he also knows how those two are. Wash can't ever land straight if he and Zoë are having a fight. It gets all bumpy.

Zoë sat in the co pilot chair. Wash doesn't even look at her. He was just flipping switches trying to look busy. Zoë had gone over and over in her head what she wanted to say to him, but she was at a lost for words. She got up and took his hand. It was still swollen where he had hit Adonis. He stopped what he was doing. Wash had come up with some convincing arguments himself to say to her. He had even practiced what to say with Rex. But none of them seem to matter. Wash pulled her down on his lap so they where facing each other. He just looked into her eyes. Hell, he couldn't even remember why he was so mad at her, how could he when those big brown eyes were looking at him. She put her other hand on his face. She couldn't believe it had been so long since she touched her husband. They just sat there holding each other and gazing into each other eyes.

Everybody else was in the kitchen. Kaylee and Inara were sitting in the corner. Inara was braiding Kaylee's hair. Mal, Jayne, Shepherd, and Simon where playing cards at the table. River was standing in the door frame, whispering nothings to her self.

The ship jilted and so did everyone else.

"We hit?" Shepherd Book asked Mal.

Mal got up angrily and almost fell into River when the ship shifted again.

"No, we ain't hit."

Mal walked up to the bridge.

"Shàngdì zài tīantáng! You two have a bunk for that?" Mal covered his eyes. Wash and Zoë were in a compromising position. The ship shifted again.

"Wash we breaking atmo? Don't you think that you should be paying attention to what your doing?"

"I am sir." Wash replied as he kissed Zoë on the neck. The ship shook.

"Zoë!" Mal sounded peeved.

"Pilot first, Dear."

"That's all I'm asking." Mal walked away. "Zhè xie hái zi hùan bìng ài feng kúang!"

Sorry for those who like translations I wrote this a long time ago and I didn't write the translations, so I have no idea what I wrote. And sorry for my miss use of comma, periods, quotations marks, and any other types of punucation. And for my poor grammer and spelling skills. I had a bad habit of falling asleep during english class in highschool. My teacher had a voice that just lullied me to sleep. Tonya


End file.
